Art Direction

Purpose and ownership

Keep visual treatments coherent and relevant information legible.

Silhouette/shape grammar, palette/contrast, materials, lighting, composition, visual hierarchy, differentiation, feedback and accessibility. Applies when visual work needs it.

Questions

What must be recognized? What implies function, mood or allegiance? What remains readable under reduced visual information?

Inputs and outputs

Inputs: Creative Direction and relevant world, setting, narrative and gameplay signal requirements.

Outputs: Visual grammar, priorities, differentiation rules and asset review tests.

Prerequisites

Applicable fictional identity and signals; not a prerequisite for prose-only world records.

Stability and evolution

Keep stable: Recognizable grammar and critical signals assumed across assets.

Can evolve: Bounded local motifs, palettes and techniques.

Reusable rules

Separate decorative variation from functional cues. Critical distinctions must not rely solely on hue. Permit cultural variation within the grammar rather than making all assets identical.

Acceptance test

Can distinct concepts be judged for coherence and relevant legibility without naming one as the rule?